Don’t miss this author visit with Marivi Soliven, celebrated author of The Mango Bride, visiting in conversation with Anne Bautista for the release of Suddenly Stateside: Postscript.
Thirty years after leaving Manila for marriage, graduate student life, and the uncertainties of America, Marivi Soliven returns with Suddenly Stateside: Postscript—a sharp, funny, and deeply felt chronicle of immigration, identity, and reinvention. From surviving Martial Law to navigating the INS, from learning the dark arts of American housekeeping in Berkeley to the indignities of public restrooms, flashers, driving tests, and a pet rat named Janet, Soliven captures the bewilderment, humor, and wonder of building a life an ocean away from home.
Marivi Soliven has authored 18 books, including The Mango Bride, which won the grand prize at the 2011 Palanca Awards, the Philippine counterpart of the Pulitzer Prize. “Pandemic Bread,” her nonfiction personal essay about interpreting for end-of-life calls during the Covid pandemic, has been adapted to a short film which has screened in 11 film festivals across the country, in Mexico and the UK. Apart from writing, Marivi helps fellow immigrants manage their medical, legal and financial issues in her day job as a phone interpreter.
Anne S. Bautista is the Director of Legal Support and Strategy at Casa Cornelia Law Center. For over 20 years, she has advocated for marginalized victims of gender-based violence, collaborating with community-based agencies to expand support for victims. An Adjunct Professor at California Western School of Law, she teaches a course on the effect of immigration laws and policies on women immigrating to the United States. Bautista holds her Juris Doctor from California Western School of Law; a BA in English Literature from UC Berkeley; and an MA in Women’s Studies from San Diego State. Bautista has been honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award from the San Diego Domestic Violence Council, and is recognized by the San Diego County Women’s Hall of Fame. She is the former President of Silayan Filipina National Organization.
